On Earth as It Is in Heaven, Part 2 – Daniel 10

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Daniel 10 introduces the book’s fourth and final vision, which includes Chapters 10, 11, and 12. It is set in about 537 BC, the third year of Cyrus and approximately two years after the vision of Chapter 9. Daniel’s Babylonian name, Beltshazzar, is used to remind us he is still in Babylonian exile.

Two years earlier the first group of Jewish exiles had returned to Jerusalem in response to Cyrus’s decree to rebuild the Jerusalem Temple (see Ezra 1-2). But we know from Daniel 9 that although some of the captives were returning, the end of the Babylonian exhile was not the end of conflict for the Jewish people.

Daniel 10 momentarily pulls back the curtain separating the visible and invisible realms–the earthly and heavenly, the temporal and eternal–to reveal the divine realities behind human conflicts. This prologue to Daniel’s vision in Chapters 10-12 explained that the historical struggles of the Jews, Persia, and Greece (and all nations by extension) have a supernatural dimension.

Daniel 10:4-7 described a glorious being wearing linen, with eyes like flaming torches and a face like lightning that appeared to him in a vision. Possibly that figure was a manifestation of God Almighty (a theophany). If so, then the figure introduced in verses 5–6 need not be the same being as the messenger who later described needing Michael’s assistance to get his message through to Daniel. But, it seems improbable that God Himself could be held up in the spiritual realm for 21 days and would need assistance from another spiritual being (vs. 13).

While other supernatural beings appeared to Daniel later in the vision (vs. 12:5), the glorious figure described in vs. 10:5-6 was a heavenly attendant of God who reflected God’s glory and thereby demonstrated his credentials to bring the message. Without reading more into the story, he was also the one talking to Daniel in the vision.

The divine figure or angel told Daniel that the prince of Persia resisted him for 21 days until one of the chief princes, the archangel Michael, came to assist him. Some may argue that the “prince” mentioned here was a human ruler, but certainly it was a supernatural being who exercised authority over the Persian nation: “When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God” (Deuteronomy 32:8, ESV).

The 21-day delay (Daniel had spent three weeks in prayer and mourning – vs. 2-3) was because of the resistance of the (demonic) supernatural being that had spiritual dominion over the Persian territory attempting to prevent God’s message from being brought to Daniel (see vs. 1). To bring God’s message to Daniel, the heavenly messenger required the assistance from another spiritual being of greater authority.

While God rules over all creation, the biblical narrative includes real heavenly beings who exercise delegated authority. Some of these heavenly beings have rebelled against God’s plans and purposes. The struggles of earthly empires are connected to this supernatural reality. Yet neither rebellious spiritual powers nor oppressive earthly rulers can prevent God’s ultimate victory. His people will always be vindicated and God’s Kingdom will prevail.

We live in a world of dual realities and God’s will is exercised on earth as it is in heaven. But we must not forget that there are evil spiritual powers exercising spiritual authority over the nations of the earth and attempting to subvert God’s will (in heaven and on earth).

The Apostle Paul declares that Christians must not underestimate the demonic powers that are at work in this world nor try to fight against them in their own power: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:10-12, ESV).

God’s Grand Plan – Daniel 9:16-27

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“While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the Lord my God for the holy hill of my God, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, ‘O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the word and understand the vision. Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place'” (Daniel 9, 20-24, ESV).

In the first year of the rule of Darius the Mede Daniel was reading the book of Jeremiah the prophet and realized that the time of Babylonian exile was almost completed (see Jeremiah 25:11-14; 29:10-14). Within the traditional chronology that places Darius the Mede immediately after Babylon was conquered by Persia, Daniel’s reference to his first year likely points to approximately 538 BC. Since the first captives had been taken from Jerusalem around 605 BC, Daniel recognized that Jeremiah’s 70-year period was nearing completion.

So Daniel began to pray to God pleading for the return of the Jews to the promised land in vs. 3-19. Daniel’s impassioned prayer contained expressions of humility worship, confession, and petition. In the prayer Daniel acknowledged that the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of Judah were not acts of an arbitrary God, but the consequences of the sinful actions of God’s people, about which they were repeatedly warned.

Daniel concluded that if there was any hope for them, it would be because of God’s mercy and in His righteousness, not their own.

Then, the angel Gabriel appeared to Daniel and communicated the heavenly answer to Daniel’s prayer by reinterpreting the seventy years as seventy weeks (seventy sevens) that are at hand for God’s people (vs. 24). These seventy weeks are understood to refer to seventy seven-year periods of time or 490 years (70 x 7 years).

So, Gabriel informed Daniel that the period of time Daniel was concerned with, the Babylonian exile, was only one part of a more extensive plan of God that would “bring in everlasting righteousness” (vs. 24, cf. Ephesians 1:7-10).

There are several interpretations of the 490-year era that Gabriel revealed. Some view the 490 years figuratively or as approximate and some views interpret the time period literally. Because Gabriel breaks the seventy sevens into three parts, 7 + 62 + 1 (see vs. 25-27), some views even place a gap or period of time between the 69th and 70th weeks so that the last seven-year period of time is at the time leading up to the second coming of Christ.

While there has been much speculation by biblical scholars stipulating when the 70 weeks begins and/or ends, what’s significant to me is that God through the angel Gabriel notified Daniel that the 70 years Daniel is concerned about is but one week of a 70-week comprehensive plan.

God has a grand plan. It’s a plan for our redemption. But, the scope of God’s plan is always immensely greater that what we can know or even understand.

And, you have a role to play in God’s grand plan of redemption. Your job is to hope and trust in Him and make His Will your own will so that you become both a participant and a facilitator of the cosmic plan of God!

In him we have redemption through his blood…. making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth in him. (Ephesians 1:7-10 , ESV)

On Earth as It Is in Heaven – Daniel 8

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“And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise. His power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken—but by no human hand” (Daniel 8:23-25, ESV).

In the Lord’s Prayer we recite the words: “Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10, ESV). Most of us who recite this prayer probably believe its supplication but don’t really think about the Old Testament theology behind our petition.

When we entreat God to accomplish His will on earth as in heaven, we are acknowledging that heaven and earth are two interconnected realms that God created and rules. And, the biblical pattern is that what happens in heaven impacts what happens on earth–and vice versa.

At a fundamental level the Bible is the story of God’s rule over those two realms through His created image-bearers. While the Bible primarily relates the story of humanity’s struggle with God, God’s created beings are both human and supernatural. The biblical story of God’s will unfolds simultaneously in the earthly and heavenly realms. But, sometimes the Bible provides us a glimpse into the corresponding events unfolding in the heavenly realm.

Daniel 8 is one such place in the Bible that reveals these parallel universes. The narrative of Daniel’s vision seems to allude to the activity of both heavenly beings and humans–the Israelites. Israel is being attacked on earth while a corresponding conflict is occurring in the unseen heavenly realm. Daniel described these earthly events using supernatural imagery because the earthly conflict reflected a corresponding heavenly conflict. So, Daniel 8 is an example of the biblical pattern of “on earth as it is in heaven.”

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Beastly Ambitions – Daniel 7

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I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man,and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away,and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed (Daniel 7:13-14, ESV).

One of the literary themes in Daniel is portrayed by the lions in Chapter 6. The lions symbolized more than the Persian method used to execute Daniel. Beast imagery is used multiple times in the book of Daniel.

Daniel 6 linked the events of Daniel in the lion’s den to the prophetic vision of Daniel in Chapter 7 and his visions throughout the remainder of the book. In Chapter 6 Daniel is surrounded by deadly beasts. In Chapter 7 God’s faithful people are surrounded by beastly kingdoms.

Throughout the book of Daniel there is a progression of beastly ambitions by kings and kingdoms that are ultimately thwarted by God’s rule. In Daniel 4 King Nebuchadnezzar became like a beast until he acknowledged that God was the supreme ruler over earthly kingdoms. In Chapter 6 Daniel is thrown among beasts and is saved by a heavenly visitation, which King Darius acknowledged by decreeing that Daniel’s God is the Almighty God who exercises dominion over all the kingdoms of the earth. Then, in Daniel 7 beasts portrayed a series of earthly empires that emerged and declined under the sovereign rule of God.

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Cosmic Trajectory – Daniel 6

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Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions” (Daniel 6:25-27, ESV)

If you spent any time in Sunday School as a child, you are probably very familiar with the story of Daniel in the lion’s den. If you didn’t learn about it as a child in Sunday School or Vacation Bible School, then it’s likely you’ve often heard references to the story and it’s familiar theme, God’s deliverance of his faithful people, in your pastor’s sermons.

While faithfulness and deliverance is certainly the storyline of the tale, there’s so many underlying theological implications and so much literary symbolism to the story that we can’t recount all of it in this post. So, we will touch on just one of the symbolic plot lines in the story that I hope will encourage you to dig more deeply into the Old Testament biblical narratives in your own Bible reading and study.

Although the account of Daniel in the lion’s den parallels the account of the fiery furnace in Daniel 3 (e.g., both stories expose imperial power’s inability to control personal allegiance and faithfulness to God), have you ever considered the story of Daniel in the lion’s den as symbolic of the burial and resurrection of Jesus?

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Inevitable – Daniel 5

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“And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven” (Daniel 5:22-23, ESV).

You have certainly heard and probably used the expression, “the writing is on the wall” or “the handwriting is on the wall.” The phrase is often used whenever an inevitable result or imminent danger has become apparent. In Daniel 5, what should have been apparent and inevitable to King Belshazzar of Babylon seemed to allude him.

Belshazzar’s feast in Daniel 5 took place years, possibly decades, after the events of King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4 and under the kingship of a different king of Babylon. King Belshazzar was once thought to be a fictional king because ancient records named Nabonidus as Babylon’s last king. Later cuneiform discoveries showed that Belshazzar was Nabonidus’s son and served as co-regent while Nabonidus was away from Babylon.

Belshazzar also could have been Nebuchadnezzar II’s grandson through his mother though this is not certain. Daniel’s ascribing him as Nebuchadnezzar’s “son” in vs. 22 is consistent with ancient usage where the term often means descendant or royal successor.

In this chapter King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of all those gathered for the feast. Belshazzar commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that King Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem be brought in so that he and his lords, his wives, and his concubines could drink from them (vs. 1-3). Basically, they were indulging in a drunken revelry and debasing sacred Jewish temple vessels by using them as wine goblets.

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Pompous People – Daniel 4

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“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble” (Daniel 4:37, ESV).

Have you ever been watching a movie and the chronological order of the story reverts to a previous or later time like “3 days ago” or “5 years later”?

If the story in Daniel 4 was a movie, Chapter 4 would begin with “8 years later” in the subtitle because the narrative of the chapter begins at the end of the story. The proclamation of God’s sovereignty Nebuchadnezzar makes in vs. 3, “His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation,” is the result of the events that take place in the remainder of the chapter 8 years earlier!

Nebuchadnezzar has yet another dream that he wants to know the meaning of and he calls on the the wise men of Babylon for its interpretation. This time, in contrast to his dream in Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar tells the wise men about the dream. And again, among the king’s advisors only Daniel is able to interpret the dream.

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Fatal Faith – Daniel 3

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 “If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18, ESV).

Daniel 2 tells the story of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon having a troubling dream that none of his wise men could explain. He demanded they not only interpret his dream but also describe the dream itself–otherwise they would be executed! Daniel, a Hebrew exile to Babylon, prayed to God who revealed to Daniel both the dream and its meaning. Daniel then explained the dream and its interpretation to King Nebuchadnezzar and prevented the execution of the Babylonian wise men including himself and his three fellow exiles.

At the end of Chapter 2 King Nebuchadnezzar proclaimed: “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery” (vs. 47). Nevertheless, by the beginning of Daniel 3, some eight years later, Nebuchadnezzar’s acclaim for the sovereignty of Israel’s God seemed to have dissipated. In Daniel 3 Nebuchadnezzar made a 90-foot high golden image, presumably of himself, for all the Babylonians to worship!

Though not explicitly stated, there seems to be a literary connection between the stories in Daniel 2 and 3. In Daniel 2 Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a statue with a head of gold, which represented Nebuchadnezzar’s empire: “You are the head of gold” (Daniel 2:38, ESV). The body of the statue was made of several substances representing the rise and fall of multiple historical empires after the Babylonian empire. But, in Daniel 3 Nebuchadnezzar made an entire image of gold.

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Absolute Power – Daniel 2

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“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
    to whom belong wisdom and might.
He changes times and seasons;
    he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
    and knowledge to those who have
    understanding;
he reveals deep and hidden things;
    he knows what is in the darkness,
    and the light dwells with him
(Daniel 2:20-22, ESV).

In Daniel 1 the king of Babylon invaded Judah and besieged Jerusalem. Many people from the nobility and royal family of Judah were exiled to Babylon. Daniel and three of his friends were among the exiles. As youths they were to be educated in the Chaldean language and culture. The faithfulness of Daniel and his friends is tested and with God’s favor upon them they are proven to have greater understanding and knowledge than all the Chaldean wise men in Nebuchadnezzar’s court.

In Daniel 2 King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream and wanted the wise men of his court to interpret it. The thing is, he didn’t want them just to interpret the dream; he wanted them to reveal what the dream was and then interpret it.

King Nebuchadnezzar wasn’t exactly an enlightened ruler and when his wise men couldn’t tell him the dream, he was furious and decreed for them all to be executed. Apparently, Daniel and his friends were at the top of the kill list. When the captain of the king’s guard came to take them to be executed, Daniel requested a meeting with the king to tell him he could interpret the dream.

Daniel told his friends about King Nebuchadnezzar’s decree and they all prayed and asked for God’s help in knowing and interpreting the dream to Nebuchadnezzar. And, God revealed the dream and its interpretation in a night vision to Daniel! In response to revealing Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to him, Daniel proclaimed the song of praise celebrating God’s power, wisdom, and control over history in vs. 20-22.

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For the Sake of Others – Daniel 1

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“But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, ‘I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age. So you would endanger my head with the king.’ Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, ‘Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink……’ At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the kings food” (Daniel 1:8-15, ESV).

Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, besieged Jerusalem in 605 BC and among the Jewish nobility and royal family deported to Babylon were Daniel and his three friends. They were to be trained in the Babylonian language and literature and assimilated into Babylonian culture. (vs. 1-4).

To protect themselves from being entangled in the temptations of the idolatrous Babylonian culture, Daniel and his friends used their distinctive kosher diet as a way of avoiding complete assimilation and retaining their distinctive identity as Jewish exiles in Babylon. This restrictive diet continually reminded them that they were the chosen people of God in a foreign land.

So, Daniel asked the chief of the eunuchs, who was in charge of training the youths, if they could only eat vegetables and drink water. The chief of the eunuchs was hesitant at first, believing that such a diet would diminish their health, but agreed to try it for ten days.

At the end of the ten days they were noticeably in better health than all the other youths who ate the king’s food!

Not only were they healthier, but God blessed them with learning and skill in all literature and wisdom and Daniel had understanding of dreams and visions (vs. 17).

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